Fireclaw
Freeze |resistance = Fire |explosive_components = Fire Sac |weak_spots = |challenge_level = 50 55 (Daemonic) |function = Combat}}The '''Fireclaw' is a category of machine exclusive to ''The Frozen Wilds''. Like its twin machine the Frostclaw, this huge, ursine machine is classed as an Acquisition machine and functions at such. However Fireclaws have a dual purpose as hunter-killer units for deployment against humans. They are the first and only known machines developed for this purpose, a task that they are exceptionally well-equipped to perform. As such, they represent an escalation in their creator HEPHAESTUS' hostility to humans and its efforts to dissuade humans from hunting machines. History Fireclaws were created by the artificial intelligence (AI) HEPHAESTUS at its R&D cauldron, Cauldron EPSILON, in the Banuk region known as The Cut. As EPSILON’s creator, HEPHAESTUS had absolute command and control authority over it and the machines it produced, and thus was able to design, field test, and deploy whatever machines it devised at this cauldron without limit. It augmented their armor and resilience to a degree that exceeds that of any known machine outside The Cut. These machines are referred to as Daemonic Machines, after the name that was used for HEPHAESTUS by the Banuk living in the region: The Daemon. As previously outlined, Fireclaws are the first and only known anti-human hunter-killer machines. Apparently satisfied with their capabilities and suitability for this purpose, HEPHAESTUS began to mass-produce thousands of them. However, it was only able to release a small number of them before EPSILON’s destruction. A Daemonic Fireclaw was used by HEPHAESTUS as the primary defense of the cauldron’s core against an expedition that infiltrated the cauldron. The expedition, composed of the Nora huntress Aloy, the Banuk shaman Ourea, and the erstwhile Banuk chieftain Aratak, prompted HEPHAESTUS to deploy the Fireclaw when Aloy attempted to access the core. The machine proved extremely effective against the three expert hunters. In addition to its highly formidable combat abilities, HEPHAESTUS spontaneously generated Control Towers to repair any damage the Fireclaw sustained mid-battle. However, the party ultimately prevailed against it. But their incursion was too late to prevent HEPHAESTUS from releasing the aforementioned small number of Fireclaws from the Cauldron into The Cut. These posed an extreme danger to the inhabitants. Aloy therefore hunted and destroyed them, engaging two of them in tandem with Aratak. The AI CYAN put the number of Fireclaws released at five, all of which were destroyed. However, given the fact that after these five were destroyed, Fireclaw sites appeared nonetheless, it can be surmised that CYAN was incorrect. Appearance Like the Frostclaw, the Fireclaw’s is somewhat ursine in appearance, movement and locomotion. Its chassis resembles the body and has the gait of a grizzly bear. Presumably, HEPHAESTUS modeled the Fireclaw and Frostclaw after the long-extinct animal, which was native to the region during the time of the Old Ones. Its size is comparable to that of a Thunderjaw, making it one of the largest machines. The head ends in a pointed, toothy snout with a three-mandible jaw. A pair of optical sensor arrays is located in the same position as a bear’s eyes. Mounted on each forelimb are a pair of gear like wheels whose purpose is unknown. There is an armor-protected fire generation unit on its chest, and a power cell is located on its lower back. Armored storage tanks containing Blaze are built into its chassis, similar to Fire Bellowbacks. However, while the Fire Bellowback’s tanks are prominently placed on its back and throat, the Fireclaw’s tanks are seamlessly built into its shoulders and are much more damage resistant. Furthermore, while the Fire Bellowback and Freeze Bellowback are identical in all respects except for their respective elements of Fire and Freeze, Fireclaws are are much larger than Frostclaws, have a considerably higher capacity resist and sustain damage, and their armor is much tougher.Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds Collector's Edition Guide, page 80 Daemonic Fireclaws have even more damage resistance, due to their even tougher armor. Behavior Like most large machines, Fireclaws are almost exclusively found singly. They are only known to be found in The Cut; the region’s geography prevents them from entering nearby tribes’ territories, such as the Nora Sacred Lands to the south. Given their intended purpose as hunter-killers, the question may be asked as to why HEPHAESTUS did not transfer their production to one of its other cauldrons after EPSILON’s destruction. The logical answer would be that their production is resource intensive, and its other cauldrons do not have access to the required level of resource input. EPSILON however, had a limitless supply of energy and mineral resources from the geothermal energy and magma that it tapped into. As previously stated, Fireclaws have a secondary purpose as acquisition machines, and are classified as such. They can be frequently seen mining soil for mineral resources at their respective sites, in the same manner as Tramplers for example. They also scavenge destroyed machines. Abilities Like the grizzly bear, the Fireclaw is able to adopt both a quadrupedal and bipedal stance. In either stance it employs fast, relentless and extremely damaging fire-based range attacks and fire-augmented melee attacks. Its capacity to sustain damage is rivaled only by the four other largest and most powerful machines known. Its damage resistance is even greater than that of these machines, particularly against explosives. Even if one of its flammable liquid tanks is punctured and explodes, the blast damage is minimal. While it is susceptible to Freeze attacks than,. Furthermore, Daemonic Fireclaws share the immunity of all Daemonic Machines to Corruption and Override, and also share their very high resistance to Shock. Additionally, despite their huge size, they are quite agile and fast, able to run and spring with surprising speed. Weaknesses Fireclaws are particularly susceptible to Freeze attacks. However their damage resistance renders subsequent attacks in this state much less effective than on other machines, and their size size makes inflicting a Freeze state on it a lengthy process; even high-powered Freeze weapons such as the Icerail take several seconds to do so. The Blaze canisters on its shoulders can be struck with Fire Arrows to cause an elemental explosion that inflicts a Burn state on the Fireclaw, but this state causes only moderate damage and quickly dissipates. However, if these tanks are indeed destroyed, the Fireclaw’s standing foreleg melee attacks are weakened somewhat, and are entirely deprived of their fire effect. Curiously, the power cell on its back has little armor; strikes on it with Shock arrows on cause an electrical explosion which stuns the machine; indeed this is the only way to stun a Daemonic Fireclaw via Shock. However, even so, the machine recovers faster than normal. A Fireclaw’s only significant structural tactical liability is its fire generation unit. Provided that both its fire sacs have been destroyed, repeated strikes on the fire generation unit with ranged weapons will destroy it in a massive Fire explosion and a permanent Burn state that eventually kills the Fireclaw. However the unit’s tough armor plating makes this difficult, and the Fireclaw’s high capacity to sustain damage makes the time until the Burn state finally destroys it quite long. Attacks Quadruped Stance Biped Stance Both Stances Components Loot }} Trivia * During The Frozen Wilds' development, Fireclaws were referred to as LavaBears.[https://vimeo.com/242259505 Rocky Schouten - Cinematics Reel - Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds] Gallery Fireclaw in the Cauldron.png Videos Fireclaw Hunting - The Frozen Wilds Episode 16 - Let's Play Horizon Zero Dawn BLIND|All Fireclaws on Hard mode References Category:Machines Category:Large Sized Machines Category:Non-mountable Category:EPSILON Override Category:Acquisition Class Category:Fire Resistance Category:Freeze Vulnerability